2026 Programs Survey

Dear SDI Community,

We are deeply grateful for the 346 thoughtful responses to our recent Member Programs Survey. Your honesty, reflections, and preferences are highly valued by all of us on staff. They help us discern more clearly where our community finds itself in this moment, so that we may craft offerings that meet as many of you as possible where you are. And we of course look forward to additional feedback from any of you who want to share it! Please email it to us at [email protected].

Your survey responses affirm what many of us already sense: a strong desire for spiritual direction and companionship that supports us amid uncertainty and change, through aging, grief, loss, and life transitions, and in deepening contemplative practices, prayer, mysticism, and wisdom traditions and orientations. Many of you also expressed interest in trauma-informed approaches, the neuroscience of contemplation, and other rich areas such as multi-spiritual dialogue and practical skillsfor our beloved calling.

We hear you on format preferences as well: especially the appeal of 60-minute presentations with Q&A, multi-session courses, and experiential learning. We are also mindful of the cost sensitivities experienced by our community, and want to remind everyone who might need one that scholarships (partial and full) are available for most offerings, alongside our efforts to keep 2026 pricing more accessible to everyone of you.

In these challenging times, our community is a vital source of sustenance and light. Thank goodness we have each other. Let us take collective breaths together–inhaling the shared presence of Eternal, and releasing stress and exhaustion–and continue to support one another on the way. We meet each other through every interaction, every listening presence, and every quiet turning of the heart.

We will be drawing directly from your feedback as we plan upcoming webinars, programs, and gatherings. If you have additional thoughts at any time, please know our doors (and inboxes) are always open, please reach out to [email protected] if you have further insights.

With much gratitude for all of you,

Rev. SeiFu and the SDI Staff

Click this link to read the results of the 2026 Programs Survey.